Electric blue-printing machine



J. H. WAGENHORST.

ELECTRIC BLUE PRINTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN-26,1918.

Patented July 5, 1921.

3 I 2 SHEETSSHEET l.

I. H. WAGENI'IORST. ELECTRIC BLUE PRINTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILEDJAN-26, I918.

1,383,353. Patented July 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES: E. WAGENHOBST, OF AKRON, OHIO.

ELECTRIC BLUE-PRINTING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5., 1921.

Application filed January 26, 1918. Serial No. 213,860.

To all whom it may cone-em:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. WAGnN- HORST, a citizen of the UnitedStates, res1ding at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Blue-Printing Machmes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates generally to electric blueprinting machines andmore part1cu larly to one in which the rays of light fromone or more arelamps are preferably transmitted through a fiat plate glass of suitabledimensions, while the material to be operated upon is held against theopposite face of said glass and moved across the said face thereof at apredetermined rate of speed, the material being held in firm contactwith the glass at all times. A flat transparent plate through which thelight rays are transmitted is to be preferred to a curved surfacebecause it is-possible to get a true flat surface against which to holdthe material to be operated upon, and a direct impingement of the lightrays is also to be had. Furthermore, a flat I provide certainimprovements whereby a firm contact will be had at all times between theglass and the material to be operated upon by the light rays. Anotherobjectof the invention is-to provide improved means for causing thematerial to be properly moved through the machine while held in suchclose contact, that is all of the materials are caused to move in unisonand creeping prevented, and furthermore bothcdges of the continuousstrips are caused to move evenly and all possibility of one edgetraveling faster than the other eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide for a variable speedwhereby the vary- .ing kinds of printing material can be used in themachine and the speed of passage reg- --ulated to suit the conditions ofsaid printing material.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thevarious novel features of construction and combination all of 1 whichwill be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing illustrating one form of my invention Fi ure 1 is acentral horizontal sectional view. ig, 2 is an end view. Fig. 3 is atransverse vertical sectionon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is atransverse vertical section on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is anenlarged detail of the apron pressing means.

In constructing a blue printing machine in accordance with my invention,I provide a frame consisting of base sills 10, and uprights 11 and 12connected thereto, the uprights 11 being preferably of wood and theuprights 12 preferably of metal pipe.

Two boards 13 and 14 are connected to the uprights 11, these boardsbeing spaced apart to receive therebetween a flat glass plate 15,

or a slightly curved glass. The edges of the boards 13 and 14 arerabbeted to receive the edges of the glass plate as most clearly shown'in Fig. 3. The upper ends of the uprights are connected by brace arms11, also preferably of pipe. 1

The sills 10 and uprights 11 are spaced a suitable distance apartaccording to the maximum width .of the print to be made, and the glass15 extends substantially the width of the machine, the uprights 11 beingrabbeted also as shown at 11" in order to provide seats for the ends ofthe glass.

Contacting with the flat glass plate 15 or the convex face of the curvedglass 15 is an endless feeding and conveying apron, the function ofwhich is to carry evenly the material across the face of the glass whilethe rays of light from the arc lamp or lamps.

pass through said glass. By carrying the material evenly is meantcausing all of the material to move in unison and also preventing thematerial at one side moving faster than the material at the other side.

In order to accomplish this even motion, I employ an endless feeding andconveying means which may consist of a canvas or other fabric apron 16of a width substantially co-extensivewith the length of the glass plate,and to this endless fabric apron are attached slats or strips 17preferabl of wood. These strips extend the full widt of the apron andtheir meeting edges are beveled as shown at 17 in order that the endlessapron and strips may travel around the upper and lower flanged rollers18, these rollers being carried by upper and lower shafts 19 and 20respectively, mounted in bearings 21, each bearing being adjustablethrough the medium-of the screw 22 work ing through a suitable support23 attached to the uprights 11. The flanges of the rollers 18 are uponthe outer sides, as shown in Fig. 1 and the strips or slats of the apronbarely contact with'these flanges, thereby preventing any possiblelongitudinal shifting of the apron which would cause creeping. By theemployment of the slats or strips, I am able to apply considerablepressure to the curtain as a whole without exerting the pressuredirectly upon the fabric itself, and in order to hold the endless apronin firm contact with the glass plate 15 or 15 I provide a metal plate orshoe 24 of suitable width and of a length substantially the same as thewidth of the apron. This plate or shoe 24 is connected to two angle ironstrips 25 by means of pinsQG, and between the plate .24 and the angleiron strips 25 are interposed springs 27 surrounding the pins. The angleiron strips 25 are connected to brackets 28 supported upon bolts 29projecting through the uprights 11, tensionbeing applied to brackets bysprings 30 surrounding the bolts 29 and tensioned by means of thumb nuts31 secured thereon.

The spring pressing means just described serves to hold that portion ofthe flexible endless apron which contacts with the glass,

infirm contact therewith, so that the printing'material introduced atthe point A will be carried down between the glass and the apron at adefinite rate of speed so that the proper exposure through the rays oflight will be had and as previously stated the pressure is applied tothe strips or slats and communicated to the fabric and owing to theconstruction of the endless belt and the manner of supporting the samebetween the flanged rollers, all possibility of creeping or endwisemovement will be avoided.

Tension is also applied to the endless apron through a spring 32surrounding a rod 33 the ends of which fit loosely in bearings 34arranged centrally of the machine through which the shafts 19 and 20pass.

For the purpose of actuating the endless apron in the proper manner, Iemploy a feeding mechanism receiving its power from an electric motor 40driving the belt 41 which passes around the wheel 42 loose upon theshaft 20 and connected to this wheel 42 is a small wheel 43 over whichtravels a belt 44 extending around a wheel 45 also loose upon the shaft19, and this wheel 45 carries a crank arm 46 to which is attached a link47 pivotally connected at itsouter endto a rocking lever'48 suitablysupported upon a journal bracket 49. A sleeve 50 is adjustably mountedupon the opposite end of this lever arm and carries a pitma-n 51connected at its lower end to an arm 52 pivotally mounted upon the shaft20 and carrying a pawl 53 adapted to engage a ratchet wheel 54 rigidwith the shaft 20. These elements are so arranged that power from themotor is transmitted first to the wheel 42 which in turn transmits it tothe wheel 45 through the medium of the belt 44 and the wheel 45 throughthe crank 46 rocks the lever 48 and this through the pitman 51 works thepawl carrying arm up and down so as to feed the ratchet one or moreteeth at a time according to the position of the sleeve 50 upon the arm48, it being understood that by adjusting the position of the sleevealong the arm a long or short stroke can be obtained as desired so as toturn .the ratchet wheel a distance of one tooth only or more than onetooth. The ratchet wheel being fixed upon the shaft 20 moves said shaft,and with it the endless spring pressed apron one or more steps at atime,car'iying with it the printing material and holding the same in firmcontact with the glass during the entire passage of said materialthrough the machine. The printing operation is accomplished by utilizingthe rays of electric arc lamps, and in practice I prefer to employ foursuch lamps 60 arranged at equal points in advance of the reflectingsurfaces 61, these reflecting surfaces being so arranged as to reflectall the rays of light and thereby provide a maxi surfaces (Z, the twoinner lamps being arranged in line with the juncture of the refleetingsurfaces 0 and (Z. By this employment of the long reflectin surfaces andthe short reflecting surfaces am able to employ four are lamps arrangedas shown, obtaining the maximum effect of light reflection and therebycollect a maximum number of light rays for the printing operation.

The are lamps 60 are arranged in a suitable sheet metal box 62, thereflector 61 constituting the rear of said box. This box is closed ateach end, and the end adjacent the motor is preferably perforated asindicated at 62, and a ventilating fan 63 arranged upon the'end of themotor shaft inorder that the heated air may be withdrawn from the box.The forward end of the box is supported by suitable arms 64 connected tothe uprights 11. Truss rods 65 are employed to strengthen the machine.

The carbons of the arc lamps'are preferably arranged in globes 66.

It will thus be seen that I provide an electric blue printing machineembodying a number of novel features of construction and it will beparticularly noted that by the employment of a flexible apronconstructed as herein shown and described, I am able to apply pressuredirect to said,

apron ei'ther in connection with a flat oring strips upon itsforwardface. I can dispense with the separate pressing means for effecting thecontact between the glass and apron.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. In a device of thekind described, the combination with a flat transparent plate of anendless fabric apron having a series of strips connected thereto, springpressed means adapted to contact with said strips and hold said'apron incontact with one face of said glass, a source of light upon the oppositeside of said glass, and means for moving said endless apron step bystep.

2. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a fiattransparent plate, of an endless apron adapted to contact therewith,strips attached to said apron, pressure means contacting with saidstrips whereby, a portion of the apron is held in.

close contact with one face of the glass, a source of light on theopposite side of said glass, and means for moving said endless apron andstrips, and means for preventing lateral movement of said apron andstrips.

3. In a device of the kind described, the

4 combination with a transparent plate, of an endless apron adapted tocontact therewith,

strips attached to said apron, spring pressed means contacting with thesaid strips,

flanged rollers around which said apron and strips travel, a source oflight upon the op-' posite side of said glass, means for moving saidendless apron and strips.

4. In a device of the kind described, the

combination with a transparentplate, of an endless apron adapted tocontact therewith, strips attached to said apron, spring pressed meanscontacting with the said strips, flanged rollers around which said apronand strips travel, a source of light upon the opposite side of saidglass, means for moving said endless apron and strips stepby step.

5. In a device of the kind described, the

combination of a flat transparent plate, of

an endless apron adapted to contact with said plate, 'a series of stripsupon-the inner face of said apron, guide rollers upon which said apronand strip travel, adjust able pressing means for holding said apron incontact with one face of the glass, a source of light upon the oppositeside of said glass, and means for moving said apron and strips.

6. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a flattransparent plate, of

'an endless apron adapted to contact withsaid plate, a series of stripsupon the inner face of said apron, guide rollers upon which said apronand strip travel, adjustable pressing means for holding said apron incontact with one face of the glass, a source of light upon the oppositeside of said glass, and means for moving said apron and strips step bystep.

7 In a device of the kind described, the' combination with a transparentplate, of an endless apron having a series of strips connected to theinner face thereof said apron being adapted to contact with one faceof.

saidtransparent plate, a source of light upon the opposite side of saidplate, means for moving and guiding said endless apron and strips,together wlth means for tensioning the same.

I 8. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a flattransparent plate, of an endless feeding means, adapted to contact withone face of said plate, arc lamps arranged upon the opposite side ofsaid plate and reflectorsarranged at the rear of said arc lamps, saidreflectors being arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis of themachine and also to each other.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

' JAMES H. WAGENHORST.

